1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique of converting heat energy and electrical energy. More particularly, the present invention relates to a heat-pipe electric power generating device, and the heat-pipe electric power generating device can be applied in a hydrogen/oxygen gas generating apparatus and an internal combustion engine system.
2. Description of Related Art
Energy is an indispensable commodity in our daily lives. Moreover, energy can exist in various forms and is commonly present as heat energy, electric energy, and light energy. From a perspective of energy, some heat energy or electric energy can actually produce some beneficial results. However, some other energy become waste energy due to reasons regarding conversion efficiency and will be exhausted to the surrounding instead of being used continually. For example, an electronic apparatus using electric energy to perform some functional operations, such that the electronic apparatus also generates heat to produce waste heat. The waste heat is usually dissipated to surrounding and not being utilized further. Moreover, if energy is present in forms of light energy or heat energy, but the energy demanded is electric energy, then an efficient converting apparatus or system will be required to perform the conversion.
The widely used traditional energy, such as petroleum, is gradually depleted. Therefore, the search for effective energy utilization and recycling is also one of the most important issues. Furthermore, other than the source-limited petroleum energy, the use of inexhaustible solar energy may also be considered. In addition, solar energy may also be converted into heat energy, electric energy, etc.
Therefore, how to convert waste heat into effective energy has always been one of the issues that need to be solved. Moreover, how to effectively convert heat energy into electric energy to perform all types of energy application is also a problem being considered by energy researchers.
In the T.W. patent publication 200809085, a heat-pipe electric power generating device has been disclosed. The heat-pipe electric power generating device disposes a magnet fixing rack on a rotary blade of a turbine to install the magnet, and disposes a pivoted portion on a base installed with the rotary blade of the turbine such that the pivoted portion aligns with a shaft of the rotary blade of the turbine. Also, an airflow passage is disposed on the base installed with the rotary blade of the turbine. The airflow passage is located behind the direction of which the rotary blade of the turbine spins along the vapor flow. Since the airflow passage is located behind the vapor flowing direction of the rotary blade of the turbine, the airflow passage only has the simple purpose of allowing the vapor to pass, and does not have the function of increasing the efficiency of spinning the turbine blade by vapor, thus can not increase the effect of power generation.
Moreover, the PCT publication WO2008/068491 A2 has disclosed an electric generator. Here, a heat-pipe used by the electric generator is assembled by clamping a non-metallic pipe between two halves of heat-pipes. The main purpose is to ensure the magnetic field will not be shielded by other metallic heat-pipes that are not made from copper. As the heat-pipe is assembled by clamping the non-metallic pipe between two halves of heat-pipes, slits may form at the seam of the two halves of heat-pipes and the non-metallic pipe, such that the interior of the heat-pipe can not reach the airtight state. Also, the electric generator embeds the coil in the non-metallic pipe, so the process of manufacturing the heat-pipe is more complicated and consequently increases the production cost.